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»The Top 30 Albums of 2010 - Fashionably, fabulously late, our favorite music (and believe me, there was a LOT) of 2010, the year that some have called the best year for music ever. And only some of those fools work here. Plenty of usual suspects, lots of ties and a few surprises that I won't spoil, including our unexpected #1.

The snow falls through bare tree branches and collects at the feet of shivering pedestrians. Icy wind whips across exposed skin, creating a shame-free blush. Desolation rumbles past on eighteen wheels, motoring down a ribbon of endless filthy asphalt. Perfect for the winter, the band Hood was always good at couching sorrow and despair in equally desolate music. And I loved them for it.

It comes as little surprise that Bracken, Chris Adams from Hood's solo project, is much in the same vein as his previous work. While not overtly depressive, the mixture of sterile electronics and sparse instrumentation doesn't quite lend a feeling of warmth. The music conjures little in the way of cheery glow, instead resigning itself to the cold and bleak visions of isolation. However, as distressing as that may sound, Bracken doesn't wallow in self-pity and can, in fact, be a comforting listen.

With We Know About The Need, Adams has not quite distanced himself from Hood, but judging from the precision of the album I would guess that disassociation wasn't exactly his intention. Instead, Adams has taken the essence of Hood's sound and pared it down into a package manageable for a solo affair. His band's former work may be referenced, but Adams' personal stamp is unmistakable.

Reviewed by Kevin AlfoldyAn aspiring global adventurer who cut his teeth on the sandy beaches and dirty bitches of Southern California, Kevin Alfoldy now spends his non-vacation days in Brooklyn, New York, where he occasionally finds the time to rub the crust out of his eyes long enough to contribute reviews and feature articles for LAS. A longtime staff member, Kevin also captains the tattered, often half-sunk raft of EPmd, our irregular column of EP reviews.

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